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Not everyone is giving into the hyperbole and proclaiming Pogba a 'fraud'. Though Jason McAteer is situated squarely in the other camp.

Former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer has suggested on Twitter that Paul Pogba’s Ballon D’Or nomination is a result of his price tag rather than his performances.

The Frenchman became the most expensive player in football history when he finally completed his protracted return to Manchester United from Juventus in the summer, with the official transfer fee reaching as high as £89 million, according to the BBC.

However, after failing to live up to lofty expectations on home soil during Euro 2016 (below), Pogba has also flattered to deceive in the red of United, scoring only once in the Premier League while struggling to dominate games in the fashion that became his trademark in Turin.

Thus, the 23-year-old has been subject to intense criticism in recent months, with McAteer among those believing that he is fortunate to be considered alongside the likes of Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suarez as 2016’s most impressive performer.

This is not the first time McAteer has riled Manchester United supporters, after he triggered a malicious elbow and a consequent red card for his former Republic of Ireland team-mate Roy Keane when the Red Devils suffered a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland in 2002 (below).

However, Pogba’s self-confessed dream of lifting football’s most illustrious individual award looks no closer at the time being, with his fitful feats of brilliance paling into comparison against the perpetual genius of Messi and co.

Danny Owen

Daniel is a Journalist graduate from Leeds Trinity University and is generally obsessed with everything football related. Daniel watches everything from Augsburg in the Bundesliga to Vitesse in the Eredivisie with as much La Liga as possible thrown in for good measure.